Tag Archives: Leethan Grandison

The Birthday is fast approaching, even some of my friends wished me ‘Happy Birthday’ this morning.

I diverge. Last year I vowed I would never ever plan anything for birthday again, after my invited list shrunk to about 8 or 9 last year down from a sizeable figure. I was disappointed and spoke out of anger. It’s natural to feel that way when you expected certain individuals to turn up and they don’t. Jamila wouldn’t allow me to be upset and made me promise to do something for future birthdays; I fake agree, but here I am today talking about a pre-celebration at Usain Bolt Tracks & RecordsBehind the Screen Series with Etana and a lunch on the day.

This one can be ticked off since I won it via a competition from the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM) as they promoted the 7th Annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management in Montego Bay, Jamaica recently.

2. A Motherboard for my Sony Laptop My baby I got last year for my birthday needs to find her way home to me before the holidays.

3. A Job – I think this speaks for itself.

4. Win the Super Lotto – which reminds I need to pencil that dream last night.

5. A week with Oprah.

6. A Tablet PC – iPad Mini, and the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity are good choices.

7. Ring the Birthday in with Friends Tuesday December 18th at Usain Bolt Tracks & Records Behind the Screen Series with Etana.

Pre-Birthday Celebration Party, join me Tuesday, December 18th to ring my day in as the Etana, “the Strong One”, performs in the BEHIND THE SERIES.

“Have you ever lied about your age? Why? Bonus: Do you think they believed you?” Is the question from WordPress Post A Day Challenge.

What are these people trying to do? I have an halo WordPress! So, No I’ve never lied about my age for three reasons, firstly I usually get it wrong because I genuinely can’t remember majority of the times, especially since I stop keeping track of my age on my 14th birthday way back in the annals of history. The other reason is because most people seem to think I’m younger than I really am, so why mess with perfection? Finally, I don’t have to remember nothing, after all I getting old. Pun intended.

Of course, I’ve lied about my age, both to sound younger and older, if fact I been doing it since thirteen (13) years old; well…ahm…I can explain, please hear me out.

The first time I lied about my age, It Wasn’t Me; Shaggy and RikRoc didn’t put me up this I swear. One of my eight grade teacher made me do it. Yes she made me do it! …don’t tell me I agreed to it so I did it too, my mind was impressionable and she took advantage of that, I was 13 years old (I feel so abused, The Cries of Men). The name of the teacher was Mrs. Brown and she was my Home Economics teacher, and one of the Advisor in the 4-H Club.

It was coming on the annual 4-H Parish Achievement Day, which is a day of competition various activities such as cooking, sewing, animal husbandry, research-base etc, all apart of the objective of development and empowerment of youth as leaders for positive change, as well give back to their local communities. Now because I had aced my 7th grade High School class in Home Economics in both practical and theory I was ask and entered in the 4-H Apron Making Competition and was place 3rd at the Parish level. While I was happy to have been placed 3rd I was disappointed not to have won, it never seem the right placing for my efforts preparing it, even though I got JMD$5000 at the time.

With my experience the Apron Making when the following year came I was asked to enter the competition, basically I was told because it was a statement. Then after being told my teacher asked my age and I said 13 years old, she told me I never looked it and even though the competition was for up to 12 years old they were going to enter me and I was to maintain I was going to be 12 the December instead of 14 years old.

No one questioned my age, for my application was completed by the Advisors and unlike the year before I won the 4-H Apron Making Competition for my parish. As winner of my parish I had to represent at the 4-H National Achievement Day in Denbigh and was place 3rd, which I was elated about; on my return to school I was commended at a general devotion for all grades.

Later that year on my 14th birthday I decided that I was tired of keeping up with this age thing, chiefly because my mother and I was planning a mega celebration and we couldn’t get to because she was sick and away from home. That year I lost all interest in birthdays and eventually Christmas because on my birthday I got news my mother was admitted to hospital and five days later on Christmas I visited her in the hospital. After being admitted to the hospital I knew our Christmas like my birthday plans would be derailed.

Back to the question.

Since my 14th birthday I often would forget the 19th of December and would just agree that I was older than the year before. I said nothing about my birthday to friends and classmates and was often lucky that school would often be on Christmas-Break before my birthday and became the perfect way to avoid friends, classmate etc re the day.

I went on ignoring my birthday, until if I was asked what age I was I would say, “I don’t know”, “let me check and tell you”, “I’m still young” OR “I’m underage”. I vividly recalled while in first year I went to the bank and the attendant told me I had to chance my update my account because I had exceed the age on the saving account I had, I protested and told her that was impossible gave her a age which was, I believe a year or two less than what she was telling me. She even showed me via a calculator that I had in fact pass that age.

I was slightly embarrassed but that wasn’t enough to shake me and I sit refused to know my age up to now.

I don’t know if this counts, but during high school when I was still underage age for certain sites I often lied about my age by mathematically modifying the year I was born to ensure my legality. I therefore created a online identity for myself to satisfy my curiosity at the time.

These days I usually refrain from telling my exact age and since most people are polite, they wear a look of shock on their faces and tell me they don’t believe. When I celebrated my birthday the first time in a long while last December and said I was 19th, a friend asked me if I never said I was 19th the year before. My response, “a man or woman is as young as he or she thinks he or she is”.

Have you ever stop to think what’s your favourite word or what is it that one word or couple words that you’re known for? Got you thinking, right? That’s exactly what WordPress Daily Challenge scored when the day’s was asked: “What is your favourite word? Why?”

Ask if that wasn’t enough another dimension was added to the challenge in that of ‘Bonuses’ asking: “What is your least favourite word? What word are you entirely neutral about? For all your word choices, is it how they sound, or what they mean that defines your opinion of them?”

I delay this post and I’m gonna back date it too, all because I wanted to be accurate of the word I was known to use a lot. I started asking some of my friends, the results were hilarious; no jokes. The responses I got me “OMGing”, “serious”, “oh no”, laughing and hand over mouth.

LEAST FAVOURITE
Before we get to my favourite words, let’s talk about my least favourite. Some of my friends, and perhaps you would agree with them, but its whatever for me. I’ve always dislike hearing the word “no”, frankly I’m not sure if its a dislike or the fact that it was inculcate in me by parents. I vividly remember one Christmas when the family, included a few Uncles, Aunt, and cousins, were over for dinner and I declared (that’s a strong word, so I hope you understand what I mean) that I wanted the leg of this huge Chicken that was raise and killed for the big day. My mother refuse to give me the leg and instead put some other part of the chicken in my plate while at the table. In protest I refused to eat and sat looking at everyone at the table. I was on a strike.

I still can hear the voice of my mother commanding me to eat and still recall how blank I looked at her, especially when she was attempting to raise her voice; I think I would have been 7 years old at the time. My father who had excused himself from the table returned at that moment and enquired what was the problem. I pleaded my case to my father: “Daddy, I wanted the big chicken leg and Mom don’t want to give me.” My Father then turn to my Mother and told her “give ma son what him want, him want the Chicken Leg give it to him.” Of course I smiled in victory, and like in a court of law that was to be the preceding for everything with either my mother or father. While I never got everything I asked for, once I really wanted it I would get it; and often times, once my father was there I would play him to get what I want. I say this to show why “no” is my least favourite word.

I can’t really thing of a neutral word for me, because its either yes or no. I really can’t deal with the chafes from riding the fence. In essence all my word choices all have to do with the meaning and/or opinion I attach to them.

FAVOURITE WORDS
With all that said let’s get into my top ten favourite words:

1. The word “Positive” was said to be a common choice for me, I’m always proclaiming to embrace the good and majority of the time being constructive and sure, rather than skeptical.

2. For some strange reason I love the word “Bitch”, but only restrict it to friends who know I don’t mean nothing offensive using it. I still can remember an embarrassing moment I had during Fashion Nights Out and Corve DaCosta laughed at me and I vowed to severely censor the use of this one, can’t say how successful I’ve been.

Bonus: What is something you believed in, until an experience changed your mind?

Confession, this post took a long time to write and I’m not exaggerating. One moment I thought I had it then another I never did. I definitely have the bonus on point, but the actual challenge…let’s just leave it at, even now writing I’m not sure what I’m gonna be writing.

Its surprising the things we believe in when we’re children, either because of what we see on TV, via cartoons or movies, or because adults who are set above tell us these things. As a youngster I was beguile into the idea that magic existed in that of fairy. I had no doubt at first not to believe and so I believe; well that was until I decided to prove it for myself.

As a youngster I had a serious case of curiosity, and it has followed me throughout my childhood and into my more youthful age, but that’s another story for another time. I remember reading a story or watching a cartoon once about the tooth fairy, I’m not sure which it was because my most young childhood memories are somewhat flurry. Coincidentally this happen around a time when I was changing teeth, so I would have been around six or seven years of age, and was queried if I would get money from the tooth fairy if I put the teeth under my pillow.

My dad told me I had to throw my teeth on top of the house and recited “ratta, ratta give me new teeth”, this was a Jamaican tradition, which I’m not sure where either of it origin nor the meaning. What I can tell you is it was said if I never did that your tooth or teeth, depending on how much you lost, would not grow back. Now I did as I was instructed, believing it of course. A few days passed by and because our house top was slab (concrete) and I could climb to its top. I searched a little and found my extracted tooth that I had toss to the roof after reciting what my dad asked me. I assumed the tooth fairy lady was perhaps overwork and had not gotten to my location. I went back up on the roof after, never found the extracted tooth but it did grow back.

The real test came when I went to the dentist for an extraction and ask for the tooth and the dentist told me I never need to do that for my teeth to grow back. I threw a tantrum which never help me, eventually my tooth grew back and I stop believing what my daddy told me.

NEVER BELIEVE
I never though enough balls and guts to maintain the interest of a girl beyond school work and other school related activities. I still don’t. I’m a shy boy, shy once I’m not consciously looking to court the person or “be with the person” like what we Jamaicans like to say.

In the latter part of my fifth form years at Tacky High, reasoning with some of my male classmates and close friends, who were what we Jamaicans dubbed “girls man”, we agreed that I needed to “bruk lose”. It was agree that I wasn’t the average boy and was just too polish and needed to be more like them. I was an exemplary student and “brukking lose” or becoming the average boy who hunts after girls for sex was idle talks for me. I was given an alias “Dexter” and welcome to a family call “D-Unit”, all the members had names start with “D”.

Hook-up sex was the first test to prove my transition, after a few times members from D-Unit tried hooking up a polish young man like me fail. It was thought that they should start things in baby steps, because it was discovered I never knew how to talk with girls to be taken serious. So I was schooled after school and all I did was laugh; it was all hilarious to me until D’bo saw me one day blushing at this Grade Nine girl, Ingrid (can’t remember her last name at the moment). During a meeting with D-Unit it was mention and my emotions were uncontrollable, I was instantly being pressured to make a move. I told them she had a boyfriend and they told it was my excuse to run away. I was asked how I felt about Ingrid and I told them, at that moment I couldn’t back out.

One day I was in the library, Ingrid came in and we were having casual talk and in walked D’bo and Dice (two of my bigger D-Unit brothers). D’bo said something about ‘love-birds’ when he walked in and walked back out. Shortly after I left. The following morning I was talking with one of the Assistant Librarian who happen to be my cousin and Ingrid walked in, followed shortly by D’bo…she wanted to talk to me. It was no biggy, we always talked. She asked me if I had anything I wanted to tell her I said no, she said yes you do, I said I was clueless. Ingrid asked me how I felt about her and I wasn’t to lie. The few seconds I stared at her were long. She reach across the table and touch my hands, your friend told me…I looked at her hands on mine in defeat and look at her confess and surprisingly pull off a good conversation that developed into my first relationship.

The challenge today is certainly an amusing one! Everyone has had that one bad teacher, however for some its way too much and itself is a challenge picking the worst of them all.

“…Someone told me that their is always an extra seat in the class for her ego”, was the comment yesterday from a colleague of mine regarding a lecturer we had last semester, to which I agree and said there are two chairs for her ego, any poll could prove. With such sentiments its difficult to imagine why some people get into the career of teaching career in the first place if absent from their nature are patience to endure students.

My worse teacher had to be my Five Grade teacher, a Miss Palmer, she was slim, dark skin and had jerried hair and had only recently completed Teacher’s College when she got a gig at my school because my then teacher was on leave. We often nicknamed her “Annie Palmer“, “Annie Palmer the Witch” or “the Witch”, the name was given because we felt she was the replica of ‘the White Witch of Rose Hall‘ a popular book and cultural remnant of Jamaica.

I wasn’t a fan of Miss Palmer and I never hide it, I’m getting ahead of myself. I can’t recall exactly how Miss Palmer assume duties for my class, but I believe school had already start for that term. From the get go I was fond of her, but that had nothing to do with me dubbing her the worse teacher. She wasn’t new to the school and so I knew of her from an Assistant Teacher position she played while she was doing teaching practise the year/term before.

She had a particular annoying voice, shouted (one of my biggest pet peeved), a liar (another pet peeved), loud and seem to take a particular pleasure in beating students. To be frank I often thought she became a teacher because that was the only thing left for her to do. She seem to have been one of those “new teachers” who were doing things because she was told by the authority, rightfully so because we were located just outside a passage way to our principal’s office and staff room. Apparently someone told her “keep them (the students) quite, your job depends on it”.

My first reason for not liking Ms. Palmer was relating to an incident that happen at the end of school term outing/trip that we would regularly go on. While some parents had accompanied their child/children, I was alone like most others. I had grown accustomed to going on schools by myself with only supervision from the teachers present and perhaps parents who were present. Returning from the trip I was told and expected to travel when I reach the final stop when we got back to school with another bus driver and family friend who had took another class. I disembarked the bus that had took my class at the final stop and boarded the family friend bus driver, who still had persons in it that the driver would stop and leave while he was passing their residence.

The reason my parents had instructed me to boarded that bus was because the driver would have pass my house before reaching his, they were sure of my safety and the said driver had pick me up that morning and left me at school so I could have boarded my bus to the trip. However, when I boarded the family friend bus driver’s bus, Ms. Palmer who was left in charge of that bus mentioned that she never knew me and I explain why I was on the bus. She proceeded to talk to me in a loud tone that the bus wasn’t going where I had indicated I was, all without consultation with the driver. The one Ms. Palmer preceded to instruct me to get off the bus and eventually led me off the bus. I watch as the bus drove off in the night and I was left in the cold of that Wednesday night; a child of nine and a half, with bags of clothes from the fun I had that day and other items brought back from the trip. It couldn’t have been later than 9:30pm and I sat on my bag under the front of a closed shop, snacking away at food items I had with me at the time, mainly KFC chicken.

I sat there for what would have been almost an hour, hoping that my family would realise soonest that I had missed the family friend when the bus drove past our house and would come in search of me.

By intuition my mother had began had just thought that it was too late and I wasn’t home yet and that’s when dad came in search of me. Driving he saw the family friend and ask if I was with him, he check and there was no Leethan. Miss Palmer who was on that bus, I was later inform by my dad and the family friend noted that I had gotten off the bus in the square of the town. Now this “witch” didn’t explain that she had told me to get off the bus, but twisted the words to make it look like I willingly got off. Shortly after my dad’s encounter when both he came and fetch me.

Driving home we ran into the family friend, who was driving back to the town square, he said, to ensure that my dad had found me. Coincidentally, we all met right after the family friend had drop “the witch” home and had turn the bus around. My dad explain to the family friend what I had said and the “the witch” eavesdrop. After talking with the family friend, my dad stop and exchange words with the Miss Palmer she asking her what kind of teacher she was to have left a student of not ten on the street like that without care for how he would get home. Frankly I never thought my dad dealt with the case well, I wanted him to give her a proper tongue-lashing, but he never did.

The following day the woman had the audacity to come in my classroom to ask me why I told a lie on her. Right there and then I got feisty with her and told her she was rude to have been talking with me the way she approach me. I gave her all of the bitterness I had because I was left in the cold and some of what both my parents had quarrel about re the incident. I did refresh her memory as to what she did and told her next time she must ask proper questions before she act. I remember she trying to reprimand me and me telling her she was the one in need of it. I gave her everything my mother wanted to give her and the anger and embarrassment I felt because of how she chase me off the bus.

So when she became my teacher I had a severe distaste for her, which I wasn’t going to release. I did the work she gave, and refuse to communicate with her if I never understood anything. Thank heavens I was a quick child, and when I never understood what was thought I asked my Principal who was in charge of extra lessons.

My relationship with Miss Palmer further disintegrated when we were given a short story assignment for class. I went home and like usual my mother ask me what about my homework and I told her what it was. I was instructed to complete it and showed it to her, which I did, my mother wasn’t satisfied and told me to do it over. Instead of doing my English assignment I did other assignments and was refusing to do it. When my mother asked for it again and I brought the said thing, she beat me and told me that wasn’t a story. Shortly after she sent me to the shop to get something to purchase. This upset me more because it was raining, I had to walk pass this dark corner, where it was often said duppy existed. On my way back from the shop I notice what appeared to be moving shadows. Given the stories of duppies, nearby graves to the corner, the dark corner and it was raining, I panic said it was duppy and attempted to run. Sooner I started running I knock my toe and felt a burning sensation; it was bleeding.

I got home without any Duppy doing me anything and my big toe gushing with blood. My mother treated the toe and joked, “this is some story”. I precede to document what happen and added a extra ending that I had stumbled over the near by gully and crabs had finish snapping off my toe. My mother applauded my efforts and told me I had done well.

When the Miss Palmer she had read the story, she marked and indicated her comments in red ink “Plagiarism, this is not your idea.” I went to talk with her after and she refuse to hear me out, saying I had copied it. Right there and then I vowed that I hated the woman name Miss Palmer and that I was through with English as a subject and writing short stories. I was that serious that all my exams papers for the remaining of my five and six grade having anything to do with stories were deliberately omitted unless I could have a choice and did one. I however did one other good story in six grade base on a picture for another teacher’s class all because a girl I liked had done an impressive piece that was read in class. Outside of that I hate writing until my quest for journalism took the most of me in high school.

Have you have seen this challenge has brought back to me repressed memories. Wish I could see that Miss Palmer now, think I owe her couple punches to the face, perhaps if it wasn’t for those mean things she said I would have been a better writer all those years ago. I guess she though I should have produce mediocrity work because that was what she was use to producing.

There you have it the story about “The Witch” aka Annie Palmer, the worst teacher EVER!

Work Bonus: Write a story about yourself, from your coworker’s perspective.

In either case, be smart: and don’t use their name, or use a coworker from a previous job, or a neighbor from a previous residence.

I hissed my teeth when I saw this first, I’m not going to lie to you, I never thought much of it. Giving it some thought, I slowly realise that it had a lesson in it. Deep within this topic I saw a popular saying that would often be reiterated by my mother (my role model), my grandmother and neighbours I would occasionally talk with, the proverb was: Humble Calf suck the Most Milk.

I’ve had the honour of living my life both in rural and urban Jamaica, as well the privilege of having all my grandparents, whether it be my grandmothers or fathers around.

The earlier parts of my life were spent in rural Jamaica were I enjoyed the lush vegetation, peace and tranquillity of the community in which I live and grew up. Not to mention the kindness, good manners and courtesy of most of the residents I grew up among. I’ve careful chosen the word “most” because not all rural or as many Jamaicans opt ‘country people’ are good. I won’t lie just as must as you have “wicked and bad-minded” people who will stop at nothing to assassinate your character through slandering and committing all other form of badness/evil in urban areas, rural Jamaica have the same. Perhaps even more. I’m not saying this to frighten you; but to speak the honest truth.

You might think I’m side-tracking, but I’m not. I telling you all this to say my neighbours have seemingly embrace the idea that I was a gifted young man. They might not have communicated it that way, and I don’t want to blow my own horn/trumpet, but their conversations and choice of words says a lot. Whenever I would talk with elders, they often times would utter something in the local Jamaican dialect like: “yuh a bright boy, yuh a go places. Nuh figet weh yuh a come from and yuh ole pepple and memba wah yuh learn growing up.” Translated as:“You are a brilliant boy, who will be successful. Don’t forget where you’re coming from when you reach or your parents and remember the lessons learnt growing up.” Or I would be told the said proverb quoted earlier or another, “Manners take you through the world” OR “Learn to kiss ass before you can kick it”.

Behind all of these talks and more were the belief to instill humility and offer lessons of life. They also felt I would be afford more opportunities than they had ever had and there was a lot to be expected from me. In fact, I had perhaps given them those reasons when I deliberately choose to become an achiever, aim for success so as to make a better life for me and family. Additionally, I was often sheltered by my parents; I attended extra lessons at school to ensure I was on top of my game; I never loiter in the community/on the streets; was always home inside the house and rarely played outside of my yard or in front of my yard without watchful eyes from parents. I wasn’t even allowed to go school in my community, which I never mind. In fact I love that I wasn’t allowed to go school in my community for several reasons, chief of which being the opportunities there were in my eyes limiting and perhaps helped to keep me out of evildoers way.

In the eyes of neighbours I was a gem to be smooth, protect and one that would find its way among royalties. While I’ve not found yet found my royalties I’m learning as I go along and even my co-workers realise or know that greatest is my destiny. Like my neighbours they have offer words of encouragement, enlightenment and sound advice, all of which I have listen in a humble manner and even practise because of my up bringing and where I’m coming from.

Fourteen days ago, that would be January 14th, I signed up for this Post a Day or Post a Week challenge that WordPress.com, the site on which I host my blog had. Sad to say today January 31st, I’m yet to make an entry.

I signed up for this Blog Challenge because I was attracted to the description WordPress used to sell the idea to bloggers. I still can recall the words splashed across my computer screen: “For those of you who want to take your blog to the next level in 2011.”

Can yoy imagine a grab like that and I still haven’t committed myself to the pledge I made? That’s about to change as I’m in bed typing away on my phone 🙂

Excuse/Justification
I must say I signed up late on January 18th and so my first challenge was issued on the 19th. Why it was only the 19th of January, the challenge was already at ‘Topic #20’. My First Challenge was emailed to me at about 12:22pm, which I open and read like I did with all of the other Challenges sent to me until the end of that week (January 22nd) and basically up to today. I must confess that I have thought about the challenges, but have just never got around to write on them.

First Challenge
Surprisingly my first challenge was: What’s the most important thing you’re putting off? And why haven’t you done it yet? What do you need to make it happen?

I gonna digress again. I think perhaps why I never start blogging on January 19th was because I had too much important things and couldn’t choose one. Like finishing the interior designs of my new house, making school arrangements and visiting friends who have been scattered all over the globe.

In answering why I haven’t done either is as simple as saying one of three things. One, financial drought or a lack of money experience I have been having and secondly, I was concern how my readers would take or view this everyday writing or once a week, which more or less was different from what they had grown accustom to reading. Finally I was concern about finding the time daily to pledge.

What do you need to make it happen? Committment. I need to seriously and wholeheartedly pledge myself to this task as I would do to any other. After all WordPress.com said it will help me to “produce high-quality content, boost…[my] readership, and make the most of all the fabulous WordPress.com features.”

Will all that consider, this is my first post in the The Daily Post at WordPress.com Post a Day Challenge; its late in coming but its the beginning of a journey with me…into my mind with various daily topics.